Rail fastener



April 1,V 1969v RAIL FASTENER R. L.. ALEXANDER vFiled neo. 4, 1967 V BY v vznm, Ww/Zm, ATTORNEYS United States Patent O U.S. Cl. 23S-349 1 Claim ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A rail fastener for either the gage or field side of the rail or both sides is fastened to a concrete crosstie by a single bolt passing through the fastener into the tie. The fastener is a spring steel plate formed with a rolled back to -t a groove in the tie. The front of I the plate has spaced cuts at right angles thereto extending past the opening for the bolt to provide three sections, the middle section being the widest and bearing resiliently on the rail base. The two outer sections are turned downwardly to engage the edge of the rail base.

'BACKGROUND OF INVENTION This invention relates to rail fasteners or rail clips for securing railroad rails to concrete crossties to maintain the gage while permitting the rail a resilient movement. More specifically, the invention meets the classification of surface track railway spring clamp fasteners.

The prior art in the eld of the present invention is highly developed. A recent and pertinent patent in this field is the US. patent to R. S. Baker, No. 3,206,123, granted on Sept. 14, 1965, and assigned on its face to the Messrs. `Cone of American Concrete Cross Tie Corporation. The assignee of the present invention and application, Harsco Corporation, through its subsidiary Plant City Steel Company, is licensed to make and makes rail clips under this patent.

The patents cited during the prosecution of the Baker patent are also of interest.

Experience with the rail clip of the Baker patent 1n service has shown that While this clip maintains the track gage, it does not provide enough resiliency to permit the rail to move and return to position thus increasing wear on the rail, wheels and other moving parts of the rail vehicle.

The Chidchester and Sonneville patents, cited during the prosecution of the Baker patent, in actual, have been found to be too resilient for many uses permitting excessive movement of the rail, particularly longitudinal movement.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a rail fastener or clip for use with concrete crossties which holds the rails `firmly in gage while allowing resilient movement of the rails but preventing longitudinal movement of the rails.

SUMMARY The present invention relates to a rail fastener or clip for holding the rail in gage while allowing desired resiliency of the rail on the concrete crossties without longitudinal movement of the rail. IThe fastener is formed from an approximately square piece of spring steel having a bolt hole therethrough adjacent the center of the square. Spaced slits or cuts are made from one edge of the square extending about two-thirds of the width of the piece and are disposed on each side of the bolt hole to divide a part of the square into three portions with the center portion about twice as wide as the adjacent side portions. The undivided portion of the square is rolled under to engage in a groove in the crosstie while the outer ends ICC of the side portions are turned down at about right angles to the plane of the square to engage the sides of the rail base. The outer edge of the central portion is curved downwardly to provide a rail base engaging lip. The bolt is screwed into the crosstie to hold the fastener in the groove in the crosstie with the lip resiliently engaging the rail base, the downturned ends of the side portions holding the rail in gage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS IIn the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters indicate like parts, a preferred embodiment of the present rail fastener is shown both in field and gage positions and in gage position only but it should be under-` stood that this embodiment in no way limits the scope of the present concept, being illustrative only. In the drawings, FIG. 1 is a view from above of rail mounted on a concrete crosstie with fasteners of the present invention holding the same in gage and tield positions;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view on the line 2 2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a fastener of FIGS. l and 2; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view similar to that of FIG. 2 with a fastener of the present invention used only in the gage position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 4Referring to the drawings in detail, there is shown a tie 1 upon which a rail 2 is supported. The crosstie can be of conventional pre-stressed concrete construction, `and is provided with a rail seat '3 adjacent each end. Transversely extending grooves 4 are formed at each end of the rail seat, and threaded sleeve anchors 5 are embedded in the tie having their tops opening into the rail seat adjacent the grooves 4. The rail is of usual form, having base anges 6, web 7 and head 8.

In the mounting illustrated, the rail seats upon a pad 9 to provide some resilience between the tie and rail to absorb shock.

rl`wo fasteners are shown, a gage fastener 10 on the gage, or inner, side of the rail, and a iield fastener 1,1 on the eld, or outer, side of the rail. The two fasteners are identical. Although the two fasteners have been given `different reference characters, the similar parts of the two will be referred to by the same numerals.

The fastener is formed from a piece of steel plate which is approximately square. At the center, there is a bolt hole 12. The central portion or forward arm 13` of the plate is reversely curved to provide a rail-bearing lip 14 having a convex underside 15 for bearing contact with the rail ange. The convex curvature of the lip allows for rocking contact upon the rail flange as the fastener is flexed.. The rear arm 116 of the plate is rolled downwardhl to form an anchoring foot 17 to rest within the groove 4. Here again, the contacting surface of the clip is a convex one and flexing of the fastener will cause rocking movement of the foot within its seat. The two side arms 18 and ,1'9 are formed by cuts 20 and 21, respectively, which extend about two-thirds of the width of the plate and are bent downwardly at right angles to provide spaced rail stops 22 and 23. The rail stops are for actual engagement with the rail, to position the rail and to hold it in position, as will be described.

When a rail is to be laid, the crossties will be positioned, and rail pads 9 placed on the rail seats. The rail is then put upon the ties resting on the pads 9. The fasteners will next be placed in position with their curved feet 17 resting in the grooves 4 and their lips `14 bearing upon the tops of the rail flanges. Bolts 24 are inserted through the openings 12 and threaded into the anchor sleeves 5. The bolts will be turned down sufficiently to bring the required pressureupon the fasteners to cause the desired spring pressure to be exerted upon the rail anges. It will be noted that the pad 9 may be notched along its edges at the bolt positions, to provide arcuate recesses to surround the bolts and hold the pad against shifting on the rail seat of the tie.

When the fasteners are in position, the lips 14 and feet 17 are in rm contact with the rail flange and crosstie, respectively. Downward pressure at the center of the fastener imposed by the bolt will cause the lip and foot to roll, or rock, slightly on the rail flange and in the groove 4, but bearing Contact is retained. The two convex surfaces will maintain constant pressures bearing on the respective members. The same is true if the rail moves vertically under load. Thus, the rail is held by a constant, but yielding, bearing pressure of proper resilience.

When the fastener is in place, the downturned rail stops 22 and 23 will be in engagement with the side edges of the rail anges to hold the rail against lateral shifting. Here again, the holding pressure is a yielding one, for endwise pressure on the fastener is opposed by foot 17 in the groove 4 in the tie. The fastener is quite stiff in opposition to lateral movement of the rail, however, so that but minute movement may take place in this direction.

The space rail stops automatically hold the fastener in proper position at right angles to the rail. This permits the fastener to be anchored by a single bolt, yet be held against rotation around the bolt.

'In the embodiment shown in 4FIG. `4, the fastener of the present invention is shown in the gage position only. A different clip 25 is used in the iield position to permit the feld edge of the rail to rise slightly. Clip 25 forms no part of the present invention and is illustrated only to show the exibility of use of the present rail fastener.

Changes in or modifications to the above-described illustrative embodiment of the present invention may now be suggested to those skilled in the art without departing from the inventive concept. :Reference should therefore be had to the appended claim to determine the scope of this invention.

What I claim is:

1. A fastener for fastening a rail to a concrete crosstie having a rail seat thereon with arcuate recesses extending transversely of the crosstie at the edges of the rail seat comprising a substantially square spring steel plate member, a rear arm for said plate member curved downwardly and forwardly to provide a convex foot to seat in one of the arcuate recesses at the edge of the rail seat in the crosstie to anchor the fastener against movement longitudinally of the crosstie, a forward arm for said plate member terminating in a bearing lip with a convex bearing surface for contact Vwith a ange of a rail on the rail seat, a hole in the center of said plate member to receive a bolt to exert pressure upon said plate member to hold said convex foot seated in a recess in the crosstie and said bearing lip in contact with the rail flange to hold the rail upon the crosstie seat, spaced cuts on each side of said hole extending from the edge of said plate member adjacent the rail flange forming side arms extending on either side of said forward arm and terminating in downward extensions for contact with the adjacent rail flange side edge, said cuts extending about two-thirds of the width of said plate member and past said hole and said forward arm being about twice as wide as each of said side arms whereby side thrust of the rail toward the clip will be transmitted from the side arms through said plate member to said convex foot seated in the recess in the crosstie rail seat and the rail will be held against sidewise movement in the direction of the fastener while the effected length of said forward arm for resilience extends from adjacent said hole and resiliently holds the rail on the rail seat against longitudinal movement.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,378,590 6/ 1945 Snyder 23 8-349 2,394,3 73 2/ 1946 IGibbs 23 8-3 49 3,206,123 9/ 1965 Baker 23 8-349 ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD A. BER'TSCH, Assistant Examiner. 

